Many of the prior developments in the art of cleaning devices have been directed towards convenience. As a result, many mop heads are wholly disposable or are comprised of disposable cleaning sheets that are used and then detached from the mop and replaced. These cleaning sheets are often proprietary and are sometimes pre-impregnated with cleaning solutions.
While disposable cleaning sheets are convenient for the user they are not always the most efficient means of cleaning. For example, proprietary materials limit the flexibility of prior devices to utilize alternate types of cleaning materials. In addition, disposable materials create waste and may have long-term environmental consequences. Often times these devices are simply inadequate for the cleaning task at hand. Cleaning efficiency is thus sacrificed for the perceived convenience of the device, and the user often finds oneself scrubbing the area by hand; perhaps on hands and knees, using a rag and a favorite cleaning compound.
Most cleaning devices are also disadvantaged in the cleaning of both floors and overhead surfaces, usually being generally designed for one or the other. For example, a floor mop is often a poor choice for cleaning dust from the top surface of the blades of an overhead fan.
Two attempts to solve some of these problems in the prior art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,603 to Popeil and U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,587 to Findley. The embodiments described by Popeil include a cantilevered mop head capable of cleaning both floor surfaces and overhead surfaces; however the incorporation of a mechanical sponge wringer in the head may have encumbered the device and complicated its use, thereby limiting its convenience and commercial success. It is notoriously difficult to control the amount of moisture in a wet sponge mop, making them messy for overhead use. Wet sponges also absorb bacteria, abrasive grit, and odors that can hamper the efficiency of a device. Foam sponges have the further problem of decomposing unevenly and allowing hard or abrasive support materials to contact the cleaning surface. Popeil recognizes some of the problems introduced by sponge cleaning devices and attempts to remedy some of these issues in a preferred embodiment by wrapping the sponge in a removable cloth sleeve that could be later laundered, however since the sponge is the main means to transfer both pressure and cleaning solution to and from the surface the underlying problems still remain.
The embodiments described by Findley include a “T” shape for pushing a cloth on a cleaning surface. The device is limited to fabrics that can be constructed with loops incorporated in the material that can be held in place by Velcro hook material. The simple rigid inverted “T” shape mop has long been known in the prior art under the folk name “Cuban Mop.” It is used primarily to push a wet or dry rag on the surface to be cleaned while the user is in a standing position, but incorporates no convenient means to hold a cloth on the “T.” The “T” shape provides substantial benefits to the user in that the user can use such cleaning materials as they find convenient, pushing them from standing. Findley is an improvement over the prior art in that it provides a means to attach the cloth to the “T,” which allows more control by the user. However, the limitations in the type of cloth that can be attached makes the improvement a minor one and may not be worth the additional cost and complexity.